Releasing device for strip forms in an autographic register



F. G. WHITE ET AL RELEASING DEVICE FOR STRIP FORMS Feb. 3, 1953 2,627,428

IN AN AUTOGRAPHIC REGISTER Filed Jan. 18, 1950 INVENTORS THOMAS E CALLAHAN FRANK G. WHITE FIG. 3

Patented Feb. 3, 1953 RELEASINGDEVICE FOR .STRIP' FORMS! IN AN AUTOGRAPHIC REGISTER Frank G. White, Watertown, and ThomasF.

Callahan, Newtonville,

Application January 18, 1950,5erial No. 139,312

Claims. (Cl. 282+-12)..

This invention-relates to a device forcontrolling the advanceof the strip forms in an autographic register. Registers of the type referred to are usually provided with a storage space for a fan-folded strip of forms, the leading portion of which strip lies on-a table or platen of the register. The strip, which may be single or multiple, consists'of a succession of similar'forms preferably defined by transverse lines of weakness (scoring or perforations) to make it easy to tear offthe leading form-when desired. The register is so constructed that the leading form lies on the table or platen where entriescan readily be made thereon. When the desired entries have been made, the strip is customarily advanced by the length of one form, the leading form then being torn off, leaving the next successive form-as the leading form on the. platen. It is desirable that such next successive form be locked or anchored in its proper position on the platen before the leading form is torn off as otherwise the act of tearing off the leading form is apt to drag the nextlform too far across the platen so that it is improperly placed. For this purpose strip-forms areoften made so that each form has one or more;

holes to receive lockingpins on the register by which the strip is securely held with a form in proper position on the platen until released.

According to prior practice, such pins maybe parts of a feeding mechanism which is adaptedto be manually operated to feed thestrip forward a sufiicient distanceto project itsleading end portion beyond the registerfar enough to be grasped, the strip then being pulled. manually until the. next form is in place on the platen, whereupon the leading form is tornoif.

According to the present invention the feeding of the strip is entirely .by hand instead of being partly mechanical and partly manual. The leading end portion of the strip extends from the platen under a fixed guide plate. A notch in the front edge of this plate exposing enough of the leading edge of the strip to be readily grasped is normally covered by asmall slide. When this slide is pushed back to provide access to the leading edge of the strip, the retractionof the slide withdraws a pair of locking pins from holes in the leading form through which they normally project. The strip is thusureleased and can be drawn forward to pull the leading form from the platen. The forward movement of the operators hand moves the holes out of registry with the locking pins and permits the slide to returnto its normal position. The retracted locking pins are thus released so... as to. be spring-pressed;

against the strip. When the next pair of holes;

register with the pins, the latter spring through the holes and lock the strip against. further This occurs when theinext successive Figure 4 is a section onthe line 4? 4 of Fi ure 1.

Figure 5 is a section similar to Figure; 4 but.

showing the parts in a differentposition of operation.

Figure 6 is a. section on the line6-6 of Figure 1.

A representative autographic register is shown in Figure 1, this register. having, a. rectangular receptacle Ill. adapted. to contain. afan-foldedv strip l2 of .forms.,. The leading. portion. of this strip emerges. from a suitable slot at one; end;

of the receptacle l0 and extends across a table" or platen I4 which preferably constitutes the top or cover of 1 the receptacle [0. This covermay' be hinged as at I6. to one of the side walls of the receptacle so as to provide easy access to the.

interior. The leading portion of the strip I2 extends underneath a guide member 20 which, according. to the presentinvention, consists of a flat, rectangular box, the bottom of which is a guide plate for the strip. The box contains locking pins to secure the strip in position and releasing mechanism tomove the pins clear of the strip so; as to permit feedingof the strip. The box 20 is preferably hinged at one end to the receptacle ID, as at 2|, so that it can be swung up to facilitate the placingof the leading portion of the strip l2 thereunder.

As indicated in Figure 2, the member zll may conveniently be made of two shallow. panel .members 22 and 24 which can be sheet metal stampings. These members are separately 3 of the paper strip I2 underlies the bottom of the guide member 20 as indicated in Figure 4, the lower front edge 26 of the member serving as a tearing edge to facilitate severing the leading form from the rest of the strip when the form has been pulled out beyond the guide member until its rear edge registers with the tearing edge 26. The successive forms may be defined by transverse lines of weakness formed by scoring or perforating the strip, but such lines are not essential. The strip 12 may be a single strip or may be multiple, the latter being the customary practice so that two or more copies may be simultaneously made by means of transfer sheets (not shown) between the multiple form resting on the platen I4. The guide member is provided with a notch 30 in its forward edge, this notch being of sufficient width and depth to expose enough of the leading por-v tion of the strip lying beneath the guide member to be grasped by a thumb and forefinger. When thus grasped, the strip can be pulled out from'the register the length of one form whereupon the portion pulled out can be readily torn off against the tearing edge 26, leaving the next form as the leading form on the platen I4. To provide clearance for the forefinger when the forward end of the strip is grasped, the end wall 3| of the receptacle In is inclined inward, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, the upper margin of the wall being bent forward to provide a horizontal support 32 for the paper under the box 20, the central portion of the support being cut away beneath the notch 30. The notch is normally covered by a cover member or slide 33. In Figure 2 this slide is shown in two separate parts which are permanently secured together after the slide has been assembled withthe guide member 20. r This slide is arranged to cover the notch 30 when in normal position and to be pushed back by the thumb of the operator so as to expose the part of the leading portion of the paper strip under the notch 30. The cover member 33 includes an upper plate 34 having a front flange 36 extending down therefrom, this member being permanently secured by spot welding or otherwise to a lower plate 38 having an upstanding flange 40. The plate 38 is provided with two upstanding posts 42 at its rear edge to slide along the sides of a guide rail 44 located on the under face of the top element 24 of the guide member so as to keep the slide 33 straight as it slides back and forth. A pair of horizontal rods 45 are secured in the member 20 and extend from the front to the rear thereof. These rods pass through the end portions of the flange 45) and carry compression springs 48 which resiliently press the slide forward to its normal position covering the notch 39. Hence, when the slide is pushed toward the rear to expose the notch 30, it springs back to its normal position when left to itself.

-In order to lock the leading form of the paper strip I2 in its proper position on the platen l4, each form is provided with one or more holes 50 in its leading portion, two such holes being shown in Figure 1. Locking pins 52 are pro' vided for these holes and are arranged to project through these holes when the form is in its proper location. The support 32 for the paper under the box 20 is punched or notched to receive the pins 52. According to the invention, the guide member 20 contains mechanism by which these pins are automatically retracted so as to be clear of the strip 12 when the slide 4 33 is pushed back to provide access to the leading portion of the strip. For this purpose each pin 52 is mounted on an arm 54 which, as indicated in Figure 2, may be a piece of sheet metal. Each pin 52 is mounted at or near the free end of its arm 54, the other end of the arm being pivoted as at 56 to the guide member 20, as indicated in Figure 5. Each arm may be provided with a compression spring 58 to press it resiliently down so that its pin 52 which projects down from the end of the arm will be pressed against the upper face of the strip l2 cured to the slide 33 and moves therewith. Figure 4 shows a cam 62 in its normal position and the correspondmg pin 52 projecting through a hole 50 in the leading portion of the paper strip 7 I2. When the slide 33 is pushed back to expose the notch 30 and the leading part of the paper thereunder, the earns 62 also move to the rear, camming the arms 54 upward as indicated,

in Figure 5 so as to lift the pins 52 clear of the plane of the leading portion of the strip which underlies the guide member 20. The slide 33 is ordinarily pushed back by the thumb of the operator in the process of grasping the leadmg portion of the strip l2. When the strip is pulled forward, the springs 48 return the slide to its normal position. This removes the cams 62 from under the cam followers 6!], allowing the springs 58 to push the pins 52 downward. Since at this time the leading holes 50 have been moved out of registry with the pins 52, the pins press against the top surface of 'the strip until the nextrsuccessive pair of holes'50 register therewith. The pins thereupon move through the holes and thus lock the strip against further movement. The next form on the strip is then in proper position on the platen 14. The form which has been withdrawn is readily torn off against theytearing edge 26, whereupon the register is ready to receive the next entry.

We claim:

' 1. In an :autographic register includin i i I V g a platen on which the leading form of a strip of forms each having two feeding holes is adapted to rest, a centrally notched guide member at the forward end of sa1d platen, said guide member being in the form of a shallow box with its top substantially flush with the platen and its rear Wall sufficiently spaced from the forward edge of the platen to permit the leading end of the strip of forms to pass from the platen beneath the box, two looking pins within said box normally projecting down through the bottom thereof and through the feed holes of the paper form beneath the box, :a slide mounted on said box flush with the top thereof normally closing the notch therein and shdable toward said platen to expose said notch means in said box operatively connecting sa1d slide and locking pins to retract the pins into the box when the slide is pushed to the rear to expose the notch, and spring means pressing said slide toward its normal position.

2. A device as in claim 1, said slide having parallel top and bottom plates and a front wall connecting said plates, two upstanding posts on said bottom plate, and a stationary guide rail mounted in said box and extending between said posts to guide said slide.

3. A device as in claim 1, said spring means consisting of two helical compression springs arranged with their rear ends bearing against the rear wall of said box and their forward ends bearing against said slide.

4. In an autographic register including a platen on which the leading form of a strip of forms each having two feeding holes is adapted to rest, a guide member under which the leading portion of said strip extends, said guide member being in the form of a shallow box mounted with its top substantially flush with said platen and having a notch extending in from the front thereof to expose some of the leading portion of the strip beneath the guide member, two rockable arms within said box hinged thereto at the front thereof and on either side of said notch, a locking pin projecting down from the free end of each arm and normally extending through the bottom of said box to project through the two holes in the leading form of said strip of forms, a slide normally closing said notch, the top of the slide being FRANK G. WHITE. THOMAS F. CALLAHAN.

REFERENCES CI'TED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,472,559 Fulfs Oct. 30, 1923 1,644,955 Sherman Oct. 11, 1927 1,873,489 Schroeder Aug. 23, 1932 2,111,825 Waechter Mar. 22, 1938 2,137,970 Waechter Nov. 22, 1938 

